Unknown assailants kidnapped two UTair airline employees contracted to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur on January 29

MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Russian nationals kidnapped in Sudan are alive, and all necessary efforts are made to get them released, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a briefing on Thursday.

Unknown assailants kidnapped two UTair airline employees contracted to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on January 29.

"The headquarters set up by the UN, local authorities, operational groups continue searching for the Russian nationals. Representatives of local tribes have also been involved [in the search], and they have called on kidnappers to release the hostages immediately," the spokesman noted.

"All necessary efforts are made to free Russian nationals as soon as possible," Lukashevich said.